The American Revolution was a result of the colonists unrest caused by their abhorrence towards their British Mother Country. For several centuries the colonies had been subject to rule by the English Crown and it’s Parliament. They no longer wanted to be controlled by a country an ocean away, and in turn sought independence. A huge factor in the start of the American Revolution was the French and Indian War that changed the age-old bond between the colonies and England. Decades of conflict followed, starting with the revolt as a result of the Stamp Act in 1765, leading to the eruption of war in 1775.
Revolutionary War (1775–83): Causes The roots of the Revolutionary War ran deep in the structure of the British empire, an entity transformed, like the British state itself, by the Anglo‐French wars of the eighteenth century. After the fourth of these conflicts, the Seven Years' (or French and Indian) War, the British government tried to reform the now greatly expanded empire. The American colonists resisted, creating a series of crises that culminated in the armed rebellion of 1775. The Imperial Background. With the Glorious Revolution (1688), England's foreign policy took the anti‐French path it followed until 1815—a path that led to four wars before 1775.
The French however were trying to cause a true revolution, a reason to overthrown their king and remove all the inequalities there was. The American Revolution, beginning in 1776, had started with tensions between Britain and its colonist due to the debt that the Britain’s accrued from the war with the French and Indians. Up to this point the colonist had elected their own assemblies and had grown accustomed to running their own affairs. The British began passing legislation, which increased the taxation of American colonies, tightening their control over the colonists. One of the regulations that Parliament passed was the Stamp Act of 1765.
In 1770's Great Britain, after recently winning the Seven Years War, was the most dominant nation in the World. The King of the most powerful nation in the world was King George III. At the time Great Britain had total control of the American colonies; but this was changing. The colonists, already infuriated about previous exploitations decided to revolt. As stated in the declaration of independance, King George,throughout his very long reign, exploited his power over the colonies which ultimately caused the colonist to revolt.
Origins of the word: probably shortened from whiggamore, one of a group of 17th-century Scottish rebels who joined in an attack on Edinburgh known as the whiggamore raid; probably from Scottish whig - to drive. 1. A member of the liberal party in Great Britain. (Historical Terms) a member of the American political party that opposed the Democrats from about 1834 to 1855 and represented propertied and professional interests 2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a conservative member of the Liberal Party in Great Britain 3.
After, the revolutionaries put limits of power on their king and began a new government. France became a constitutional monarchy. These events where felt all over Europe especially by the nobility and ruling families. They were threatened by the potential of losing their powers of government. In the years that followed France declared war on Britain beginning a series of wars that lasted twenty-two years.
He came into power during the Napoleonic Wars, and is most remembered for his involvement in these wars and his sudden change from an active liberal ruler to a more moderate czar. Originally Alexander I relaxed political repression, but later in his reign he joined Metternich in the Holy Alliance in a movement to subdue national and liberal movements. Alexander died in 1825, and Decembrist revolts followed as people argued over his successor. After his brother's death in 1825, Czar Nicholas I came to power. Nicholas is remembered for his much harsher treatment of the people and constant strife for more power.
One of his very serious was his funding of the American Revolution. In the spring if 1776, America entered the American Revolution in hopes to gain freedom from Great Britain, and King Louis XVI saw this as an opportunity for them to humiliate France’s long-standing enemy Great Britain by helping the Americans. Though France was already in a financial crisis, King Louis XVI sent out many troops and large sums of money across the ocean to America. Americans won their independence and everything was going well until 1783, when Britain sank the main French fleet. The end result was that Louis ended up spending 1,066 livres on the American Revolution, which he funded by taking out large loans at high interest rates.
The Seven Years’ War 1. made France lose its position as colonial power in Europe 2. lost most of its territory in America 3. destroyed the French navy 4. depleted the national treasury b. The American Revolution 1. allied with the Americans in the American Revolution 2. revolution was a success, but America owed France almost 11 million dollars by end, money couldn’t be paid back, both countries in debt 3. revolutionary ideas played a large role on France’s revolution 2. Has there been an economic crisis? a. external national debt from multiple wars b. internal bankruptcy and extravagant spending of money by nobility and aristocrats 1. extreme poverty of lower classes d. financial crisis was one of the largest contributing factors to revolution 3. Has the government committed violent or other hostile acts against the people?
While Great Britain emerged a victor of the Seven Years war, it was nearly bankrupt at its completion in 1763. This led the British government to raise revenues throughout its empire in order to reset its forces. Ironically, while Great Britain was attempting to prepare for the next war against its European neighbors, it was creating the conditions for an unforeseen conflict with the